I love Bowman. I love it because it signifies the beginning of the prospecting year, and offers the first shot at some of the biggest rookies of the upcoming season. This is the product that has generated some of the most iconic cards in the hobby, and remains a place where you can open a box or case and walk away with the most valuable chase cards of the year.

Here is the power of this product and its subsequent releases based on this design:

2014 Bowman Chrome Mike Trout Auto RC

2014 Bowman Chrome Kris Bryant Black Refractor Auto BGS 9.5

2014 Bowman Chrome Carlos Correa Gold Refractor Auto BGS 9.5

2014 Bowman Chrome Bryce Harper Auto BGS 9.5

This year’s design follows a tried and true formula of a bordered card with space to adjust the color for different parallels. It looks a bit like a play on a few different years, and that isnt a bad thing. Like Topps flagship, Bowman has had a very consistently top notch design, and I dont think this year is any different. Its nothing groundbreaking like 2016 Topps, but its definitely not ugly in any way.

Some of the inserts leave a little to be desired, but unlike many of the other baseball sets, they rarely play a part in facilitating the wow factor of any given year. At its core, Bowman represents the young crop of players that are chased by all sorts of different collectors. It holds its value because it has earned the legacy over years of consistency.

When this product hits, the new season will be about to start, and I cannot wait to see how this shapes up. I can already see that there are going to be some nice autograph content that could be available, but its up to Topps to execute. The waiting game begins now!